The PCC has upheld a complaint against Rod Liddle (pictured) for a blog he posted on Spectator blogs claiming, ''The overwhelming majority of street crime, knife crime, gun crime, robbery and crimes of sexual violence in London is carried out by young men from the African-Caribbean community."

The PCC in its adjudication, publicised today, notes:

'The Commission recognised the magazine's argument that the nature of a blog post is often provocative and conducive to discussion. The blog in this case - which had been clearly attributed to the columnist - had certainly provoked considerable debate.

'However, the magazine had not been able to demonstrate that the "overwhelming majority" of crime in all of the stated categories had been carried out by members of the African-Caribbean community. It was difficult to argue that the sentence in question represented purely the columnist's opinion, which might be challenged. Instead, it was a statement of fact. As such, the Commission believed that the onus was on the magazine to ensure that it was corrected authoritatively online. It could not rely merely on the carrying of critical reaction to the piece. The Commission upheld the complaint under Clause 1 of the Code.'